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AI · head to head

Galileo vs Modal

Galileo logo

Galileo

AI

Evaluation and observability platform for GenAI applications and agents

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Modal logo

Modal

AI

Cloud functions for AI and ML

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Galileo the free plan is limited to 5,000 traces per month, which is quickly outgrown by production workloads.; Modal the Team plan carries a $250 monthly base fee and returns only $100 of that as free credits, so $150 is a flat charge before any compute
  • They diverge on capability: Galileo covers Pre-built evaluations, Modal covers Serverless GPUs.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Galileo and Modal actually diverge.

Attributes where Galileo and Modal differ
AttributeGalileoModal
Pricing modelfreemiumusage-based
Platformsweb, apiCloud, Api
FoundedUnknown2021

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (AI).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Galileo

  • Pre-built evaluations
  • Ground truth capture
  • Luna models
  • Agent behavior analysis
  • Production guardrails
  • Flexible deployment

Only in Modal

  • Serverless GPUs
  • Python functions
  • Auto-scaling
  • Fast cold starts
  • Python SDK
  • GitHub Actions
  • Cloud storage
  • Cloud support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Galileo

  • Evaluating RAG and agent applications before production releasenot Modal
  • Monitoring live GenAI applications for failures and driftnot Modal
  • Applying real-time guardrails without custom integration worknot Modal
  • Reducing evaluation costs using distilled Luna judge modelsnot Modal

Modal

  • Running serverless GPU workloads for model inference and trainingnot Galileo
  • Executing Python functions on cloud compute without managing serversnot Galileo

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Galileo

  • The free plan is limited to 5,000 traces per month, which is quickly outgrown by production workloads.
  • Real-time guardrails and unlimited trace capacity are reserved for the custom-priced Enterprise tier.
  • Pro plan pricing scales with trace volume, so costs can grow unpredictably as usage increases.
  • On-premises deployment requires an Enterprise contract rather than being available self-serve.

Modal

  • The Team plan carries a $250 monthly base fee and returns only $100 of that as free credits, so $150 is a flat charge before any compute
  • Compute is billed per second across separate GPU and CPU meters, so total cost depends on execution time rather than any fixed rate
  • The Starter plan's $30 monthly free credit is the only allowance below the paid base fee
  • Enterprise volume discounts are custom and unpublished

Pricing, plan by plan

Galileo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 5,000 traces/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Unlimited custom evaluations
  • Pro$100/month
    • 50,000 traces/month
    • Standard role-based access control
    • Advanced analytics and insights
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Unlimited trace capacity
    • Custom rate limits
    • Hosted, VPC, or on-prem deployment

Modal

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 3 seats
    • 100 containers
    • 10 GPU concurrency
  • Team$250/month
    • Unlimited seats
    • 5,000 containers
    • 50 GPU concurrency
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom seats, containers, and GPU concurrency

Which should you pick?

Choose Galileo if

  • You need pre-built evaluations.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want ground truth capture.
Galileo review

Choose Modal if

  • You need serverless gpus.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Api.
  • You also want python functions.
Modal review

Questions people ask

Is Galileo or Modal better?
Neither clearly leads. Galileo starts at Free and Modal at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Galileo or Modal?
Galileo starts at Free and Modal at Free.
Does Galileo or Modal run on more platforms?
Galileo runs on web, api. Modal runs on Cloud, Api.
Can I use Galileo for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Galileo best used for?
Galileo is most often used for evaluating rag and agent applications before production release, monitoring live genai applications for failures and drift, applying real-time guardrails without custom integration work, reducing evaluation costs using distilled luna judge models. Of those, evaluating rag and agent applications before production release and monitoring live genai applications for failures and drift are not what Modal is typically brought in for.
What can Galileo do that Modal cannot?
Galileo covers Pre-built evaluations, Ground truth capture, Luna models, Agent behavior analysis. Modal covers Serverless GPUs, Python functions, Auto-scaling, Fast cold starts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Galileo: What does Galileo cost?

Galileo offers a free plan, a Pro plan at $100/month billed yearly (with a 33% annual discount), and a custom-priced Enterprise plan for unlimited trace capacity.

Source
Modal: How much does Modal cost?

Modal uses pay-as-you-go pricing with Team plan at 250 USD/month base. Starter includes 30 USD/month free credits; Team includes 100 USD/month free credits. Compute charges per second for CPU cores, memory, and GPU instances.

Source
Galileo: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

The Free plan includes 5,000 traces per month with unlimited users and unlimited custom evaluations, aimed at developers and small teams experimenting with GenAI.

Source
Modal: Is there a free tier?

Yes, Starter plan is free plus 30 USD/month in compute credits included monthly for new users.

Source
Galileo: How is usage metered?

Galileo's pricing scales based on the number of traces processed each month, with Free capped at 5,000, Pro at 50,000, and Enterprise offering unlimited trace capacity.

Source
Modal: What are the seat limits?

Starter plan includes 3 seats; Team plan provides unlimited seats; Enterprise tier has custom seat allocations.

Source
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